Sumo Didi (2023) may be one of the most distinctive sports Hindi films out there. Sports dramas are not new to Bollywood. In fact, some of the biggest hits in the industry, like Sultan starring Salman Khan and Dangal starring Amir Khan, are some of the most notable examples of the genre. Even themes of women’s empowerment have been accentuated in the past. Yet Jayant Rohatgi did what most of these film directors couldn’t do. He picked up a lesser-known sport in India, an actress who wasn’t an A-lister, and, with a restrained commercial approach, made a biopic.

Women’s Right To Take Up Space

The film revolves around Hetal Dave, India’s first professional female sumo wrestler. Instead of a loud, cartoonish villain and frantic melodrama, the film relies on the quiet resilience of women and their boldness for taking up space. It offers a wide discourse on body positivity and the subversion of the traditional roles of Indian women. What society labels a weakness is turned into her biggest strength.

The body, on that note, is treated as a reclamation of power rather than shame. Shriyam Bhagnani, who played Hetal, wins an international match at the beginning of the film, only to face relentless backlash for her body afterwards. Hetal grows up with PCOD, subjected to a regimen of bitter gourd juice. Her relatives keep adding unnecessary commentary on her appearance throughout the film. This fosters plain tension among the family members. The film very carefully avoids treating it as a cliche monologue on self-love and rather lets Hetal’s journey speak for itself.

The Representation of the Physical Reclamation In India

Hetal discovers Sumo. A sport that offers a respite from the male gaze, influenced by shrunken bodies and supports bulky, massive, and forceful women’s bodies. Sumo Didi’s emotional spine thus becomes the fact that what women like Hetal observe to be a flaw becomes their superpower through talent, will, and drive.

Hetal’s mother serves as the perfect example of the held-back views of conservative women in India and other neighboring countries where beauty standards should be met by women to get married. Her mother’s main motivation for her daughter’s vitriol is “what will people say?”. She constantly advises liposuction for her daughter to become marriageable.

The choice of choosing Sumo as a sport to master made by Hetal is clearly an act of defiance. Sumo is a sport often mocked and lesser known in India. The sport’s mockery reminds her of herself. Its esteem in other parts of the world, especially Japan, is what makes her confident enough to pursue it, subconsciously hoping to earn respect like that some time in life.

A Sobering Portrait of an Athlete Carving Her Path All Alone  

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In most of the sports films, a great aspect of the film, which is by all means realistic is the pressure of finding sponsors, coaches, federations, and a lot of intrusions from big organizations. Their meddlesome role is often what pushes the athletes to achieve their goals. Simultaneously, it puts some pressure on the athletes to pave their way.

This one exact detail is missing from Hetal’s story, which makes it altogether more unique and respectable.

Her training is supervised by a local physiotherapist friend (Chaitanya Sharma) who has rudimentary methods. Apart from this, she relies solely on her sheer will, lacking a professional infrastructure to compete against other professionals with a completely different background. This also grants the narrative a rounded realism. The only antagonist in society is the crushing weight of the system, which does not cater to the needs of women who stand out differently. The system here may also be the lack of a lane in the sporting culture for women like Hetal.

Her resistance is not noisy but through the quiet stubborn daily decision of continuing her journey. Shriyam Bhagnani’s performance is immensely praiseworthy. She portrays the character in its most raw depiction. The simplistic tone of the film, on top of that, amplified the dramatic climax of success. Hetal’s story is a reminder that women can celebrate themselves apart from rebellion and expand their own definition of perfection and acceptance.

Watch the film on Zee5 today and let us know your thoughts!

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